Blank Rome: Difference between revisions

Blank Rome
Headquarters	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
No. of offices	15 (14 in the U.S., 1 in China)
No. of attorneys	700
Major practice areas	Multi-practice law and government affairs
Key people	Grant S. Palmer, Chair and Managing Partner; Alan J. Hoffman, Chair Emeritus
Revenue	$750M (2024)
Website	Official website

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Latest revision as of 17:51, 10 October 2024

Blank Rome (formerly known as Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley^[1]) is a law firm with 16 offices and 750 attorneys and principals who provide legal and advocacy services to clients in the United States and around the world.

Founded in 1946, Blank Rome represents a broad range of clients across a spectrum of industries. The firm has 16 offices in the United States and expanded internationally in May 2011 by opening a Shanghai Representative Office in the People's Republic of China. In 2003, the firm established Blank Rome Government Relations LLC in Washington, D.C., a wholly owned subsidiary and government affairs firm that provides strategic lobbying, advocacy, and communications counsel.

History

Blank Rome was founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and has since expanded its geographic footprint across the United States. The following combinations and additions have occurred:

1959: Brumbelow & Comisky, Philadelphia
1961: Newman & Master, Philadelphia
1984: Wexler Weisman Forman & Shapiro, Philadelphia
1998: Wigman, Cohen, Leitner & Myers, Washington, D.C.
2000: Tenzer Greenblatt, New York
2003: Dyer Ellis & Joseph, Washington, D.C.
2005: Shack Siegel Katz & Flaherty, New York
2006: Healy & Baillie, New York
2011: Abrams Scott & Bickley, LLP, Houston
2012: Janis, Schuelke & Wechsler, Washington, D.C.
2013: Bell, Ryniker & Letourneau, Houston
2014: Finestone & Richter and Margolis & Tisman LLP, Los Angeles and San Francisco
2015: Wong Cabello, Houston
2016: Dickstein Shapiro LLP, Washington, D.C.; Phillips Lerner, Los Angeles
2017: Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, Los Angeles
2019: Buter, Buzard, Fishbein & Royce LLP, Los Angeles; four-partner group from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Chicago

Additionally, in 2003, the Firm established Blank Rome Government Relations LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary and government affairs firm in Washington, D.C.

Practice areas

Blank Rome's practice areas include commercial and corporate litigation; class action defense, financial institutions litigation, and regulatory compliance (FILARC); corporate, M&A, and securities; cross border/international, energy, environmental, and mass torts; finance, restructuring, and bankruptcy; government contracts; government relations and political law; insurance recovery; intellectual property and technology; intellectual property litigation; labor and employment; maritime and international trade; matrimonial and family law; real estate; tax, benefits, and private client; and white collar defense and investigations.^{[citation needed]}

Key industry areas include aerospace, defense and government services, aviation, chemical, energy, finance and restructuring, financial services, gaming and entertainment, healthcare, hospitality, investment management, life sciences, maritime, private equity and investment funds, real estate, technology, and transportation.^[2]

Blank Rome Government Relations LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary and government affairs firm. Key services include Advocacy, Congressional Oversight and Investigations, Government Business, Government Ethics & Compliance, and Legislation & Regulation.^[3]

Pro Bono Activities

Notable pro bono work includes:

Assisting Afghan refugees seeking Humanitarian Parole in the United States, in addition to helping with expedited Afghan asylum cases^[4]
Partnering with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights to organize and staff a nonpartisan election protection hotline for voters in the 2022 mid-term elections^[5]
Working to assist transgender clients with legal name and gender marker changes
Helping refugees to take their next step toward citizenship by applying for Green Cards
Working with veterans seeking to upgrade their military discharge status
Assisting small businesses and nonprofit organizations with corporate, real estate, tax, and intellectual property issues

Notable lawyers and alumni

Edward Cahn, former chief United States district judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, serves as counsel in Blank Rome's Philadelphia office.
Steve Castor^[6]
Marvin Comisky, former chairman emeritus of Blank Rome and former head of the Philadelphia and state bar associations^[7]
Barbara Comstock, American attorney and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 10th congressional district from 2015 to 2019.^[8]
Geraldine Ferraro, former congresswoman and Vice-Presidential candidate, previously served as a principal at Blank Rome Government Relations LLC.
James Giles, former chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, serves as counsel in Blank Rome's Philadelphia office.
David F. Girard-diCarlo, former chairman of the South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, elected co-chair and managing partner in 1988, reelected five times, serving until 2000; also appointed as the CEO of subsidiary Blank Rome Government Relations LLC, the lobbying branch of the law firm based in Washington, D.C.; served as the U.S. ambassador to Austria from July 2008 to January 2009.
Keith Gottfried, former general counsel to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and a senior official in the administration of President George W. Bush, was a partner in Blank Rome's Washington, D.C., office.
Nathaniel R. Jones, former judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and former general counsel to the NAACP, previously served as the Firm's inaugural Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.
Frederica Massiah-Jackson, Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas judge, worked at the law firm before her election to the bench in 1983.
David A. Norcross, former chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee and executive assistant to New Jersey Governor William T. Cahill, was a partner in Blank Rome's Philadelphia office.
Stephen Orlofsky, former judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, is the chair of Blank Rome's Princeton office and leads the Firm's appellate practice.
Gil Stein, former president and general counsel to the National Hockey League, worked at the law firm before becoming an executive with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1976.

References

^ Blank Rome shortens its name
^ "Services and Industries | Blank Rome LLP". www.blankrome.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ "Blank Rome LLC". www.blankromegr.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ "Finalist: Natalie Alameddine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
^ Skolnik, Sam (November 7, 2022). "Law Firms Step Up Voting Rights Fight in Tomorrow's Midterms (1)". Bloomberg Law.
^ Weiss, Debra Cassens (November 14, 2019). "Meet Stephen Castor, the GOP lawyer stealing the show in Trump impeachment hearings". ABA Journal. American Bar Association. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
^ Downey, Sally A. (November 12, 2010). "Marvin Comisky, 92, ex-chairman at Blank, Rome". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
^ "Barbara Comstock | The Institute of Politics at Harvard University". iop.harvard.edu. Retrieved April 4, 2024.

External links

Blank Rome's firm profile from Chambers & Partners

[Philadelphia_Business_Journal-1] Blank Rome shortens its name

[2] "Services and Industries | Blank Rome LLP". www.blankrome.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

[3] "Blank Rome LLC". www.blankromegr.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.

[4] "Finalist: Natalie Alameddine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 30, 2024.

[5] Skolnik, Sam (November 7, 2022). "Law Firms Step Up Voting Rights Fight in Tomorrow's Midterms (1)". Bloomberg Law.

[6] Weiss, Debra Cassens (November 14, 2019). "Meet Stephen Castor, the GOP lawyer stealing the show in Trump impeachment hearings". ABA Journal. American Bar Association. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.

[7] Downey, Sally A. (November 12, 2010). "Marvin Comisky, 92, ex-chairman at Blank, Rome". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 2, 2021.

[8] "Barbara Comstock | The Institute of Politics at Harvard University". iop.harvard.edu. Retrieved April 4, 2024.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Short description|United States-based law firm}}
+{{Short description|United States-based law firm}}{{Undisclosed paid|date=January 2024}}
+{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
 {{Infobox law firm
 |name            = Blank Rome
 |logo            = Blank Rome logo.svg
 |headquarters    = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]
-|num_offices     = 14 (13 in the U.S., 1 in China)
+|num_offices     = 15 (14 in the U.S., 1 in China)
-|num_attorneys   = 650+
+|num_attorneys   = 700
 |num_employees   =
 |practice_areas  = Multi-practice law and government affairs
 |key_people      = Grant S. Palmer, Chair and Managing Partner; Alan J. Hoffman, Chair Emeritus
-|revenue         = <!-- amount (year) -->
+|revenue         = $750M (2024)
-|date_founded    = 1946
-|founder         =
-|company_type    = [[Limited liability partnership]]
 |homepage        = {{official website|http://www.blankrome.com/}}
-|dissolved       = <!-- Date/Reason the company dissolved, e.g., merger or bankruptcy -->
 }}
-'''Blank Rome''' (formerly known as Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley<ref name="Philadelphia Business Journal">[https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2002/12/30/daily25.html Blank Rome shortens its name]</ref>) is an Am Law 100 firm (ranked 86th in the 2022 [[AmLaw 100 Survey]]) with 14 offices and more than 650 attorneys and principals who provide legal and advocacy services to clients in the United States and around the world.
+'''Blank Rome''' (formerly known as '''Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley'''<ref name="Philadelphia Business Journal">[https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2002/12/30/daily25.html Blank Rome shortens its name]</ref>) is a law firm with 16 offices and 750 attorneys and principals who provide legal and advocacy services to clients in the United States and around the world.
-Founded in 1946, Blank Rome represents a broad range of clients across a spectrum of industries. The firm has 13 offices in the United States, and expanded internationally in May 2011 by opening a [[Shanghai]] Representative Office in the People's Republic of [[China]]. In 2003, the firm established Blank Rome Government Relations LLC in Washington, D.C., a wholly owned subsidiary and government affairs firm that provides strategic lobbying, advocacy, and communications counsel.
+Founded in 1946, Blank Rome represents a broad range of clients across a spectrum of industries. The firm has 16 offices in the United States and expanded internationally in May 2011 by opening a [[Shanghai]] Representative Office in the People's Republic of [[China]]. In 2003, the firm established Blank Rome Government Relations LLC in Washington, D.C., a wholly owned subsidiary and government affairs firm that provides strategic lobbying, advocacy, and communications counsel.
 ==History==
+{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2023}}
-Blank Rome was founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, PA, and has since expanded its geographic footprint across the United States with offices in Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, FL; Houston, TX; Los Angeles and Orange County, CA; New York City; Pittsburgh, PA; Princeton, NJ; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE, as well as internationally with a Representative Office in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China. The following combinations and additions have occurred:
+Blank Rome was founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and has since expanded its geographic footprint across the United States. The following combinations and additions have occurred:
 * 1959: Brumbelow & Comisky, Philadelphia
@@ Line 44: / Line 43: @@
 ==Practice areas==
-Blank Rome's practice areas include commercial and corporate litigation; class action defense, financial institutions litigation and regulatory compliance (FILARC); corporate, M&A, and securities; cross border/international, energy, environmental, and mass torts; finance, restructuring, and bankruptcy; government contracts; government relations and political law; insurance recovery; intellectual property and technology; intellectual property litigation; labor and employment; maritime and international trade; matrimonial and family law; real estate; tax, benefits, and private client; and white collar defense and investigations.
+Blank Rome's practice areas include commercial and corporate litigation; class action defense, financial institutions litigation, and regulatory compliance (FILARC); corporate, M&A, and securities; cross border/international, energy, environmental, and mass torts; finance, restructuring, and bankruptcy; government contracts; government relations and political law; insurance recovery; intellectual property and technology; intellectual property litigation; labor and employment; maritime and international trade; matrimonial and family law; real estate; tax, benefits, and private client; and white collar defense and investigations.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}
-Key industry areas include aerospace, defense and government services, aviation, chemical, energy, finance and restructuring, financial services, gaming and entertainment, healthcare, hospitality, investment management, life sciences, maritime, private equity and investment funds, real estate, technology, and transportation.<ref>[https://www.blankrome.com/services-and-industries Full list of practice areas]</ref>
+Key industry areas include aerospace, defense and government services, aviation, chemical, energy, finance and restructuring, financial services, gaming and entertainment, healthcare, hospitality, investment management, life sciences, maritime, private equity and investment funds, real estate, technology, and transportation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blankrome.com/services-and-industries|title=Services and Industries &#124; Blank Rome LLP|website=www.blankrome.com|accessdate=10 April 2023}}</ref>
-Blank Rome Government Relations LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary and government affairs firm. Key services include Advocacy, Congressional Oversight and Investigations, Government Business, Government Ethics & Compliance, and Legislation & Regulation.<ref>[https://www.blankromegr.com/ Blank Rome Government Relations LLC]</ref>
+Blank Rome Government Relations LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary and government affairs firm. Key services include Advocacy, Congressional Oversight and Investigations, Government Business, Government Ethics & Compliance, and Legislation & Regulation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blankromegr.com/|title=Blank Rome LLC|website=www.blankromegr.com|accessdate=10 April 2023}}</ref>
-==Office Locations==
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/chicago-il Chicago, IL]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/cincinnati-oh Cincinnati, OH]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/fort-lauderdale-fl Fort Lauderdale, FL]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/houston-tx Houston, TX]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/los-angeles-ca Los Angeles, CA]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/new-york-ny New York, NY]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/orange-county-ca Orange County, CA]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/philadelphia-pa Philadelphia, PA]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/pittsburgh-pa Pittsburgh, PA]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/princeton-nj Princeton, NJ]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/shanghai Shanghai, China]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/tampa-fl Tampa, FL]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/washington-dc Washington, D.C.]
-* [https://www.blankrome.com/offices/wilmington-de Wilmington, DE]
 ==Pro Bono Activities==
+Notable pro bono work includes:
-Blank Rome promotes pro bono involvement by matching its attorneys and paralegals with meaningful legal clinics, initiatives, and partner nonprofit organizations to implement the firm’s formal pro bono policy, which requires each attorney and paralegal to provide at least 25 hours of pro bono service each year, with an aspirational goal of providing at least 75 hours of pro bono service.<ref>[https://www.blankrome.com/pro-bono Blank Rome Pro Bono]</ref>
+* Assisting Afghan refugees seeking Humanitarian Parole in the United States, in addition to helping with expedited Afghan asylum cases<ref>{{cite news |title=Finalist: Natalie Alameddine |url=https://www.latimes.com/b2bpublishing/inspirational-women-trends-updates-forum-and-the-2023-leadership-awards/finalist-natalie-alameddine |access-date=2024-01-30 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>
-The firm achieved impressive results on a wide range of pro bono projects. Highlights include:
+* Partnering with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights to organize and staff a nonpartisan election protection hotline for voters in the 2022 mid-term elections<ref>{{cite news |last1=Skolnik |first1=Sam |title=Law Firms Step Up Voting Rights Fight in Tomorrow's Midterms (1) |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/law-firms-step-up-voter-suppression-fight-in-tomorrows-midterms |work=Bloomberg Law |date=2022-11-07}}</ref>
-* Continuing to assist Afghan refugees seeking Humanitarian Parole in the United States, in addition to helping with expedited Afghan asylum cases
-* Partnering with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights to organize and staff a nonpartisan election protection hotline for voters in the 2022 mid-term elections
-* Helping low-income senior citizens to draft and execute their life planning documents
 * Working to assist transgender clients with legal name and gender marker changes
 * Helping refugees to take their next step toward citizenship by applying for Green Cards
 * Working with veterans seeking to upgrade their military discharge status
 * Assisting small businesses and nonprofit organizations with corporate, real estate, tax, and intellectual property issues
-Blank Rome has been ranked in [[Law360]] Pulse’s Pro Bono and Social Impact ratings in recognition of the firm’s commitment and dedication to advancing pro bono efforts in the legal industry and elsewhere.<ref>https://www.law360.com/pulse/articles/1545623</ref> <ref>https://www.law360.com/pulse/articles/1542749</ref>
-The firm was also recognized in the top 50 firms nationwide in [[The_American_Lawyer|The American Lawyer's]] 2022 Pro Bono Scorecard for pro bono work completed as well as dedicated hours and commitment to providing pro bono assistance in 2021, marking the third year that the firm has been recognized for its performance and dedication to pro bono.<ref>https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2022/07/18/the-2022-pro-bono-scorecard-national-rankings/</ref> <ref>https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2022/07/18/the-2022-pro-bono-scorecard-average-hours-and-breadth-of-commitment/</ref>
 ==Notable lawyers and alumni==
-*[[Edward N. Cahn|Edward Cahn]], former chief United States district judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, serves as of counsel in Blank Rome's Philadelphia office.
+*[[Edward N. Cahn|Edward Cahn]], former chief United States district judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, serves as counsel in Blank Rome's Philadelphia office.
 *[[Steve Castor]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/meet-stephen-castor-gop-lawyer-stealing-show-in-impeachment-hearings|title=Meet Stephen Castor, the GOP lawyer stealing the show in Trump impeachment hearings|last=Weiss|first=Debra Cassens|date=November 14, 2019|website=ABA Journal|publisher=[[American Bar Association]]|language=en|url-status=live|access-date=December 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116043620/http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/meet-stephen-castor-gop-lawyer-stealing-show-in-impeachment-hearings |archive-date=2019-11-16 }}</ref>
 *[[Marvin Comisky]], former chairman emeritus of Blank Rome and former head of the Philadelphia and state bar associations<ref>{{cite news |last1=Downey |first1=Sally A. |title=Marvin Comisky, 92, ex-chairman at Blank, Rome |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/obituaries/20101112_Marvin_Comisky__92__ex-chairman_at_Blank__Rome.html |access-date=2 May 2021 |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=12 November 2010 |language=en}}</ref>
+*[[Barbara Comstock]], American attorney and politician who served as the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. representative]] for [[Virginia's 10th congressional district]] from 2015 to 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Barbara Comstock {{!}} The Institute of Politics at Harvard University |url=https://iop.harvard.edu/fellows/barbara-comstock |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=iop.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref>
 *[[Geraldine Ferraro]], former congresswoman and [[Vice President of the United States|Vice-Presidential]] candidate, previously served as a principal at Blank Rome Government Relations LLC.
-*[[James T. Giles|James Giles]], former chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, serves as of counsel in Blank Rome's Philadelphia office.
+*[[James T. Giles|James Giles]], former chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, serves as counsel in Blank Rome's Philadelphia office.
 *[[David F. Girard-diCarlo]], former chairman of the [[South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority]], elected co-chair and managing partner in 1988, reelected five times, serving until 2000; also appointed as the CEO of subsidiary Blank Rome Government Relations LLC, the lobbying branch of the law firm based in Washington, D.C.; served as the U.S. [[ambassador]] to [[Austria]] from July 2008 to January 2009.
 *[[Keith Gottfried]], former [[general counsel]] to the [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development]] and a senior official in the administration of President [[George W. Bush]], was a partner in Blank Rome's Washington, D.C., office.

v t e Philadelphia-area corporations (including the Delaware Valley)
List of companies based in the Philadelphia area
Philadelphia-based Fortune 500 corporations (rank in the 2017 list)	Comcast (31) Aramark (192) Crown Holdings (333)
Delaware Valley-based Fortune 500 corporations (rank in the 2017 list)	AmerisourceBergen (11) DuPont (113) Lincoln National Corporation (207) Universal Health Services (276) Campbell Soup (339) UGI (457) Burlington Stores (463)
Other notable Philadelphia-based businesses	Amoroso's Chemtura Day & Zimmermann FMC Corporation Independence Blue Cross Pep Boys Philadelphia Media Network PREIT Radian Group Urban Outfitters
Notable Philadelphia-based professional partnerships	Ballard Spahr Blank Rome Cozen O'Connor Dechert Drinker Biddle & Reath Duane Morris Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Pepper Hamilton Saul Ewing White and Williams
Other notable Delaware Valley-based businesses	Actua Corporation Airgas AlliedBarton Ametek Aqua America Asplundh Bentley Systems Brandywine Realty Trust Boscov's Carpenter Technology Cephalon Chemours Christiana Care Health System Crozer Keystone Health System David's Bridal DuckDuckGo EPAM Systems EnerSys Liberty Property Trust Penn Entertainment Penn Mutual Rita's Italian Ice SEI Investments SLM Susquehanna International Group Vanguard Toll Brothers Triumph Group Unisys ViroPharma Vishay Intertechnology VWR Wawa Wilmington Trust W. L. Gore & Associates WSFS Bank
Notable Delaware Valley-based US headquarters of foreign businesses	Aberdeen Asset Management AgustaWestland AstraZeneca Chubb Delaware Investments GSK Keystone Foods SAP Siemens Healthineers Shire Pharmaceuticals Subaru Teva Pharmaceuticals TD Bank
Notable Delaware Valley-based division headquarters of US corporations	Acme (Cerberus Capital Management) Centocor (Johnson & Johnson) Colonial Penn (Conseco) Delmarva Power (Exelon) GSI Commerce (eBay) Hercules (Ashland) MAB Paints (Sherwin-Williams) McNeil Laboratories (Johnson & Johnson) Neoware (Hewlett-Packard) PECO (Exelon) QVC (Liberty Media) Rohm & Haas (Dow Chemical) SunGard (FIS) Tasty Baking (Flowers Foods)